Chapter 160 The night before Lunar New Year's Day is Lunar New Year's Day...
The night before was Lunar New Year's Eve. Mingxi stayed up all night and didn't fall asleep until almost 1 a.m. She was so sleepy when she lay down that she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
However, Mingxi did not sleep well that night, and as soon as she fell asleep, she fell into a bizarre dream.
In my dream, memories of my past life and this life intertwine.
One second, she was a recent graduate from her past life, a miserable office worker struggling alone in a big city, who died in an accident, the pain of death feeling incredibly real. But the next second, she saw a younger version of Zhao Sulan holding her as a baby, gently comforting her.
In the dream, Zhao Sulan was younger, but looked much more haggard than the real Zhao Sulan. Most of the time, she had a sad expression on her face, and only when facing Mingxi would she smile gently.
In the dream, there was not only Zhao Sulan, but also Aunt He, Aunt Li, Aunt Ma... all of them were younger versions. Some of them came to help take care of Mingxi, and some came to deliver food to Zhao Sulan.
Sometimes they would pick up Mingxi and play with her, but other times they would sigh deeply at Mingxi: "Hey, Zhao, have you ever thought about remarrying? You're still so young, and the child is still so small. Do you really want to spend your whole life with her?"
At this point, Zhao Sulan would always shake her head and say, "I've thought it through, but I'd rather not. I'm afraid people will look down on me for having a child."
"Hey, what's the big deal? If you're scared, just find someone who also has a child. If you both have a child, neither of you will complain about the other, right?"
Zhao Sulan: "Then I'm even more worried. If he also has children, he'll definitely love his own children even more. I'm afraid my Xibao will be wronged or bullied. Oh well, anyway, I've taken over Lao Ming's job and can work and earn money to support my family. Finding another man might not be as good as living on my own."
Upon hearing this, Mingxi finally realized that the scene before her was when she had just been born prematurely after her father died in a work accident.
Upon realizing this, she suddenly became somewhat stunned.
Everything before me felt so real, so real that it didn't seem like a dream. It was as if it had actually happened, only to be recalled in a dream.
But she had no memory of these scenes.
In the instant Mingxi was stunned, the scene in her dream changed rapidly. Soon she grew from a tiny baby into a three- or four-year-old toddler. At this time, Zhao Sulan also started doing matchmaking as a side job to supplement the family income due to her family's financial situation.
In the dream, Mingxi knew that Zhao Sulan worked hard to support the family on her own, and wanted to help Zhao Sulan supplement her income. She encouraged Zhao Sulan to make pastries and sell them on the black market, saying that she would definitely make a lot of money. She also said that once business was allowed to resume, if Zhao Sulan opened a pastry shop, the business would definitely be booming.
At the time, Zhao Sulan didn't take it seriously. Private trading had been banned for so many years; opening her own shop? What a pipe dream. She rubbed Mingxi's head, telling her not to worry so much about the child, and to leave the money-making to the adults.
When one trick failed, Mingxi came up with another: she secretly took the pastries that Zhao Sulan had made for her and gave them to the children she was playing with.
She wasn't kindly sharing pastries with the children; she was forcing them to eat her treats and then demanding money from them.
Of course, what she asked for wasn't excessive; she just wanted five cents, which is about the same price as a piece of mung bean cake outside.
The other children weren't angry either, since Zhao Sulan's pastries were indeed delicious, even better than those sold outside. They would be willing to pay for them.
The problem is that such a young child has no money and has to go home to ask his parents for money. Once he gets home, Mingxi's forced buying and selling is completely exposed to Zhao Sulan.
Zhao Sulan was both angry and helpless. She knew Mingxi meant well, seeing how hard she worked to earn money, and the parents who came to her door were all very kind, saying they couldn't let their children eat Zhao Sulan's food for free. But she still felt uneasy.
Besides forcing people to buy pastries, Xiaomingxi also had many side jobs: in the summer, he would take the children in the alley to climb trees to catch cicada nymphs; in the spring, he would dig for wild vegetables and medicinal herbs; and in the autumn, he would go to harvest chestnuts and dig for wild yams...
She was amazing from a young age. Even though the kids she played with were all older than her, they all listened to her and recognized her as their leader.
Xiao Mingxi led the children in the alley up and down the hills until she was in the third grade of elementary school. That year, she took the children in the alley to catch cicada nymphs. As a result, she fell from a tree, hit her head and got a big bump, and fainted on the spot.
After Zhao Sulan rushed Mingxi to the hospital for a check-up, the doctor said there was nothing serious. However, from then on, Mingxi was no longer as naughty as when he was a child, and he stopped talking about making big money on the black market.
Aside from these things, Mingxi's personality hasn't changed much.
Zhao Sulan didn't think too much about it, only that Mingxi was frightened by falling from the tree, which was why she became so docile.
But Mingxi could see clearly that after waking up in the hospital, Mingxi's eyes were no longer as mature as before, and she looked more like an eight or nine-year-old child.
Mingxi suddenly realized something.
The dream continued, and in the dream, Mingxi grew up little by little, going to junior high school, high school, graduating from high school... until one day in 1980, suddenly one day, Mingxi woke up abruptly, her eyes becoming unfamiliar, and then the scene of Zhou Cuihua and Wang Hongmei coming to her door to cause trouble was replayed...
The dream that night was too chaotic. When Mingxi woke up the next day, her head was throbbing with a dull pain. She sat up, and the memories of the dream were still so vivid in her mind.
It turns out there was no original owner at all.
It turns out it was her from the very beginning.
After dying in an accident in her previous life, she retained her memories and became Zhao Sulan's daughter. Because of these memories, she wanted Zhao Sulan to work in the black market and to support her family. She lost all her memories of her previous life when she fell from a tree in the third grade. Then, through some unforeseen twist of fate, when Zhou Cuihua came to cause trouble last year, her lost memories of her previous life were restored, but she simultaneously lost all memories of this life, leading her to mistakenly believe that there was another person before her.
"Daughter, daughter, are you up yet? If you are, hurry up and come out, someone has come to wish you a Happy New Year!"
Zhao Sulan's voice came from outside, and Mingxi rubbed her head and smiled.
It was her from the very beginning; there was no original owner.
She has always been her mother's daughter!
Thinking of this, Mingxi couldn't help but feel happy. A big smile bloomed on her face as she called out to the door, "Coming! I'm getting up right away!"
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and Mingxi specially wore a red sweater, which made her fair and rosy face look even better.
As soon as Mingxi came out, she saw a group of children standing in the house. They were all children from the yard. Gou Dan was in the lead. When he saw Mingxi come out, he immediately clasped his hands in greeting and started shouting in unison, "Happy New Year, Boss! Happy New Year, Grandma Zhao! We wish you a happy new year, all the best, and great wealth in the new year!"
The group of children, their little faces tense, looked incredibly cute as they earnestly recited their lines. Mingxi couldn't resist giving Gou Dan's round little face a good pinch.
Mingxi rubbed Gou Dan's round face until it turned bright red before letting him go.
Zhao Sulan smiled and said, "Okay, everyone is doing well. Here, children, here are some red envelopes for you. Take them."
Zhao Sulan distributed the red envelopes in her hand, and every child received one.
The red envelopes didn't contain much money, just a dime, it was just a token gesture, meant to bring good luck. That's how everyone in the courtyard is; they let their children out to visit relatives and friends for the New Year, not to earn money.
The children were naturally delighted to receive their New Year's money. Gou Dan's little mouth was as sweet as honey, saying, "Thank you, Grandma Zhao! Grandma Zhao, you are the kindest, gentlest, most beautiful, and best grandma in our neighborhood!"
Mingxi pouted: "Kid, is your Grandma Zhao the only good person? Am I not?"
Dog Egg rescued his head from Mingxi's grasp: "Boss, you're good too, but you didn't give me any New Year's money."
Gou Dan said that the praise service is a paid service that can only be heard by people who give him/her New Year's money.
Mingxi gave Gou Dan's head a good rub. This kid, how can he be so greedy for money at such a young age!
These children were going to visit the next family to offer New Year's greetings, so they left the Ming family's house after a short stay.
After the children left, Zhao Sulan took out another red envelope from her pocket and handed it to Mingxi: "This is for you."
Mingxi immediately accepted the red envelope. The red envelope Zhao Sulan gave Mingxi was significantly thicker than the ones given to the other children. Mingxi immediately smiled and hugged Zhao Sulan's arm, acting coquettishly.
"Mom, Mom, you're so good. Mom, you're the best mom in the whole world, Mom..."
Mingxi wasn't greedy for money; she was simply a mama's girl who thought Zhao Sulan was the best.
Mingxi cuddled with Zhao Sulan for a while until someone knocked on the door again.
This time, Ge Heping, whom we haven't seen in a long time, and his older brother Ge Shengli also came.
Ge Heping didn't care, but Ge Shengli hadn't seen him in a long time. He was serving in the army and could only come back a few times a year. The last time he came back was during the Spring Festival last year, which was a whole year ago.
When Mingxi opened the door and saw Ge Shengli, her eyes widened immediately: "Brother Shengli, when did you get back?"
Ge Shengli: "Last night, I was originally planning to get home on the morning of the 30th to have New Year's Eve dinner, but I didn't expect to encounter heavy snow on the way, which caused the train to be delayed. I didn't get to Beicheng until the evening. I got back quite late, so I didn't come out to say hello to everyone."
"Hey, we're all family, no need for such formalities." Mingxi turned to call Zhao Sulan, "Mom, look who's here?"
Zhao Sulan came over and exclaimed, "Oh, it's Shengli! Come, come in!"
She invited the Ge brothers into the house and poured them water, saying, "How was it? I was hoping you could get a few more days off from your unit this year so you could come back for the New Year with your parents. But it turns out your parents came back from the unit alone a while ago. I even asked your mother, and she said your unit is busy, so you won't be able to come back until before the New Year."
After Ge Heping got married in September, Aunt Lan divided the family property under the witness of the neighborhood committee. Then, she and Old Man Ge packed their bags and took the train to visit their eldest brother.
Although she was supposed to be visiting relatives, she actually stayed at Ge Shengli's place for quite a while, and the two of them didn't return until December.
Ge Shengli: "I also wanted to come back with my parents, but there are regulations in the army that say we can't take leave to visit relatives anytime."
Zhao Sulan nodded understandingly: "It's not easy for you soldiers either."
Ge Shengli smiled but didn't say anything.
Mingxi: "Yeah, Victory, what brings you here all of a sudden?"
Ge Shengli said with a smile, "I came to wish Aunt Zhao a Happy New Year, and also to thank you and Aunt Zhao."
He glanced at Ge Heping and said, "My mom told me that Shengli caused all sorts of trouble while I was away."
Upon hearing this, Ge Shengli, who was standing nearby, touched his nose and silently lowered his head.
He would definitely not be happy if someone else said that.
But the person saying this now is his brother, his own brother, the one who, when angry, can kick him against the wall so hard that you can't even pry him off.
So he should just shut up and remain silent.
Ge Shengli looked at Zhao Sulan and said, "I have to thank you and Xiaoming. My brother was able to get married and find a wife thanks to your help. If it weren't for the two of you constantly persuading him, my stubborn brother would probably have caused a huge scene with my mother at home."
Ge Shengli was surprised when he learned that Ge Heping and Qin Qiaorou were getting married. He knew his mother's personality and knew she would not agree to Ge Heping and Qin Qiaorou's relationship so easily.
At the time, he was out of town and couldn't easily find out. Later, when his mother came to his place, he found out that his mother herself disagreed and had even argued with Ge Heping.
Later, after being persuaded by Mingxi and Zhao Sulan, he accepted it.
Ge Shengli had no objection to Qin Qiaorou and Ge Heping's marriage. Ge Heping was twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old; he had his own freedom. He could marry whoever he wanted, and he couldn't be bothered to interfere. Moreover, he could see clearly that Ge Heping was a stubborn mule. Even without Mingxi and Zhao Sulan's persuasion, his mother couldn't persuade Ge Heping and would eventually have to agree to the marriage.
So he was quite grateful to Mingxi and Zhao Sulan for persuading his mother; at least these two acted as a mediator, preventing his mother and Ge Heping from having an ugly argument over the marriage.
"Oh, what's the big deal?" Zhao Sulan waved her hand.
Ge Shengli came today mainly to thank Zhao Sulan and Mingxi. He didn't stay long, put down his things, and turned to leave, as they also had to go back to entertain guests who came to visit for the New Year.
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, everyone visits each other's homes to exchange New Year's greetings.
The Ming family had no relatives visiting, and things had been chaotic. Not long after the Ge brothers left, Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng arrived. Huang Pingping came to Mingxi's place to find some peace and quiet.
She complained to Mingxi, speechless, "It's so annoying. Why is it like this? In previous years, when my relatives came, they would urge me to get married and find a partner. I thought that since I'm already married, they couldn't still urge me, right? But instead, they're not urging me to get married, they're urging me to have a baby. This morning, everyone I've met has been telling me to hurry up and have a baby. I can't take it anymore, so I came to your house to hide for a while."
Mingxi: "Oh dear, it's already like this..."
Mingxi casually comforted Huang Pingping, but seeing that Huang Pingping was still angry, she gave her an idea. She whispered to Huang Pingping, "You should do this: next time your relatives urge you to have a baby, ask them how they had a baby, how they got pregnant, what position they used to get pregnant... The key is to make them feel awkward, not you."
Huang Pingping's face suddenly flushed red, and she gave Mingxi a shy, reproachful look: "Why are you like this!"
Mingxi didn't care. She withdrew and said, "Anyway, I've told you the solution. Whether you try it or not is up to you."
Huang Pingping hesitated for a moment, then blushed and said, "Then I'll go back and give it a try!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Huang Pingping grabbed Wu Zhensheng and said goodbye to Mingxi. She was really annoyed by the relatives who were pressuring her to have a child. If she could shut them up, she didn't care if it was a little awkward!
Huang Pingping strutted away with Wu Zhensheng, and not long after the couple left, Guan Lixin also dragged He Li over to offer New Year's greetings. But he wasn't just there to offer greetings; he was also there to freeload a meal.
Guan's parents went out to visit other people's homes for the New Year, and Guan Lixin was too lazy to cook, so he came to Zhao Sulan's house to freeload a meal.
There's no need for formalities between the two families. Anyway, Mingxi's family has plenty of food, so everything is ready. Zhao Sulan asked, "Do you two want dumplings or rice? Just so you know, the rice is leftovers from last night's steaming, and the dumplings were also made last night, but we haven't cooked them yet."
Guan Lixin: "I don't mind if it's leftover rice."
Mingxi rolled her eyes: "If you're just mooching off a meal and you're complaining about leftovers, that's unacceptable!"
Guan Lixin chuckled, and Zhao Sulan looked at He Li: "He Li, what are you eating?"
He Li: "Auntie, I'll have rice too."
Zhao Sulan: "Okay, then I'll go heat up the food."
It's almost lunchtime now, and Mingxi hasn't eaten yet.
She was hungry too.
Zhao Sulan heated up the food quickly, and soon called everyone to eat. As soon as Guan Lixin sat down at the table, he started making a fuss.
"Oh my god, Aunt Zhao, my wife and I are not strangers. You don't need to be so polite and serve us so many dishes. I feel embarrassed to come here empty-handed for a free meal."
Mingxi didn't stand on ceremony with him: "If you're feeling bad, just give me the money."
Guan Lixin: "Hey, with my relationship with Aunt Zhao, why bring up money? It'll hurt our feelings."
As he spoke, he looked at Zhao Sulan and said, "Aunt Zhao, don't you think that makes sense?"
Zhao Sulan: "Alright, you two stop bickering and let's eat!"
Guan Lixin and Mingxi immediately shut up, but after exchanging a glance, they still couldn't behave themselves. They both stood up at the same time, picked up their bowls to serve rice, and even argued over such a small thing as the order in which they served the rice.
Mingxi held the rice spoon, and Guan Lixin stood in front of her. Neither of them would give in, and they were locked in a stalemate for a long time before Zhao Sulan came over to interrupt their bickering.
After a whirlwind of eating, Guan Lixin let out a satisfied burp, gave a thumbs-up, and said, "Aunt Zhao, your cooking is absolutely delicious. To be honest, I think my mom's cooking is already pretty good, but compared to you, it's incomparable. If you ask me, you shouldn't bother with your job anymore; just quit tomorrow and open a restaurant."
Zhao Sulan laughed from ear to ear: "You silly child, you're always joking."
Guan Lixin: "No, I'm serious, I'm not kidding you, really, if you were to open a restaurant, I'd be the first to invest."
Mingxi: "Get lost! Who gave you a chance? If my mom were to quit her job and open a restaurant, I would definitely be the first person to invest!"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing again, Zhao Sulan quickly said, "Why open a restaurant? I'm too old to do that."
Mingxi immediately replied like a victorious rooster, "That's right, my mom can't handle it all, so she can't cook for anyone else, she can only cook for me!"
As she spoke, she glanced triumphantly at Guan Lixin, emphasizing "my mom" and "giving it to me."
Guan Lixin pursed his lips speechlessly.
What, you think you're so great just because you have a mother?
Mingxi: Yes, having a mom is amazing!
Guan Lixin was helpless.
Speaking of opening a store, Zhao Sulan remembered Guan Lixin's clothing store and asked curiously, "Lixin, how's your clothing store going? Didn't you say you were planning to open it during the Chinese New Year?"
Guan Lixin: "Sigh, I was planning to open the store in the next few days, but the renovation took a while. It wasn't until the Lunar New Year that the renovation was finally completed. I still have to let the house air out, so I can't open in time for the New Year. I've decided to change the opening date to next month."
Mingxi: "When is next month?"
Guan Lixin: "Next month on the 8th, International Women's Day."
Mingxi: "This is indeed a good day."
March brings warmer weather to the northern part of the city, the perfect time to sell spring clothes. With International Women's Day on March 8th, many companies get a half-day off, so Guan Lixin's opening on that day is sure to be a success.
When it came to business, Guan Lixin became serious: "Since we're on the topic, Xiaoming, you know a lot of people. Do you know any pretty girls who would be willing to be my models?"
Mingxi: "Why are you looking for models?"
Guan Lixin: "Last time I went to Guangdong to buy goods, I saw that the clothing stores there had posters of pretty girls wearing the clothes in the store to attract customers. I thought this trick was pretty useful. My store has large windows on three sides, which is perfect for putting up posters. Now all I need is a model to take pictures of the posters."
Guan Lixin knows a lot of people from all walks of life, but he doesn't know a single pretty girl. His buddies are the same; they really can't find a suitable model for the time being.
That's why I thought of Mingxi.
After Guan Lixin said that, Mingxi understood, but she couldn't think of a suitable person for a pretty girl right away.
Mingxi: "Hiss—let me think about it, let me think if I have any..."
As they were talking, there was a noise outside, as if someone had arrived. Zhao Sulan went to open the door, and as soon as it opened, Meng Dongchun's voice came: "Aunt Zhao, is Mingxi home? We've come to wish you a Happy New Year."
Mingxi: "Yes!"
Mingxi responded loudly. She peeked outside and realized that not only Meng Dongchun had come, but Lin Hai and Lin Xi had also followed.
Mingxi quickly welcomed the three people inside. After they sat down, Mingxi, as the host, introduced them to each other. Guan Lixin, He Li, and Meng Dongchun also greeted each other.
Although the two people didn't know each other, they were a couple brought together by Mingxi, so they could talk to each other and the room became quite lively for a while.
Mingxi noticed that ever since Linxi sat down, Guan Lixin's eyes kept glancing at Linxi.
Her face darkened. She thought to herself, "What is Guan Lixin doing? He's not usually like this. Why is he staring at other women in front of He Li?"
She held back for a while, but seeing that Guan Lixin's gaze lingered, she couldn't help herself any longer. She nudged Guan Lixin with her elbow and whispered, "What are you staring at? He Li is still here!"
Guan Lixin was completely bewildered: "What He Li? What are you talking about? I think..."
He paused abruptly, suddenly realizing what Mingxi meant. His eyes widened as he stood up: "No? No, Mingxi, you..."
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